Tongue-support for vehicles.



No. mess. Patented Apr. 9, I90l. B. F. HENNESSEY.

TONGUE SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

Ag limi n filed Feb. 1, 1901.;

(No Model.)

ZVVENjOR 0% I: I 1:12 I...

WITNESSES.-

' NI'T' D' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. HENNESSEY, OF MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA.

TONGUE-SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 671,698, dated April 9, 1901.

Application filed February 1, 1901. Serial No. 45,622. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. HENNES- SEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morgantown, in the county of Monongalia and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsinTongue-Supports for Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in tongue-supports for vehicles; and it relates more particularly to that class of supports which are adapted especially for use upon heavy sleighs or other vehicles which are designed for use in carrying lumber, stone, and other heavy materials.

The invention has for its object, among others, the provision of a simple, inexpensive, and durable support of the character mentioned which can be readily applied and which will not be liable to break or get out of order and which will serve to permit the yielding of the vehicle-tongue in both a vertical and also in its rearward movements within certain prescribed limits, thus preventing sudden jars caused by the vehicle striking ob structions from being imparted to the necks or shoulders of the animals drawing the vehicle, as will be readily understood.

To this end and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the novel construction and in the peculiar combination, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

The invention isclearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the front portion of a sleigh, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a like view showing a slightly-modified form adapting it for use upon the outer sides of the side timbers of the frame of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the socket for receiving the end of the tongue in the form shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a like view taken through the casting within which the tongue is attached to the vehicle. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section upon the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A represents the front cross-timber of a sled-frame. B B represent the side timbers, and O a cross-timber of the frame, which is located a short distance to the rear of the timber A.

D is a casting which rises from the timber A, to which timber it is bolted on otherwise securely attached. The said casting is provided with a central opening from front to rear, through which opening E is passed the tongue F. The height of the opening E is of sufficient distance to admit of considerable vertical movement of the tongue within the opening. At the point at which the tongue passes through the opening in the casting D it is provided with a longitudinal vertical slot or opening G, through which is passed a vertical bolt H, and sleeved upon this bolt, above and below the tongue and having bearings upon the top and bottom sides of the same, are provided coiled springs I I.

J is a casting which is secured to the crosstimber O. This casting J is provided with an opening J for the reception of the rear end of the tongue, and seated within an inner chamber K of the casting is a coiled spring L, against which the extreme rear end of the tongue has a bearing.

It will be noted that in the construction shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the castings are similar in allrespects to those shown in Fig. 1, with the exception of the changes that are required to adapt them to be secured to the side instead of the top of the sled-frame.

From the foregoing description the advantages of the invention will be at once understood. It will be seen that provision is bad for preventing sudden jars from being imparted to the draft-animals by reason of sudden jolts which in case the tongue were rigidly attached to the vehicle would be occasioned. The spring-seat at the rear end of the tongue overcomes the jar that would resultfrom a sudden stoppage of the vehicle, while the spring at the point at which the tongue is attached to the vehicle overcomes the jars that would be imparted by sudden upward or downward movements of the tongue.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tongue-support for vehicles, a ve-' hicle-frame, a casting carried by the frame and having an opening for the reception of the tongue, a bolt passed vertically through the opening in the casting and extending through a longitudinal slot or opening in the tongue, and coiled springs sleeved upon the bolt and having bearings upon the upper and lower faces of the tongue, within the opening, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified;

2. In combination with a vehicle-frame and BENJAMIN F. HENNESSEY.

Witnesses:

ALBERT L. HENNESSEY, VAN A. BARRIOKMAN. 

